Rotary cutting, core breaking and conveying means



May 27, 1958 A. l.. BARRETT 2,836,408

ROTARY CUTTING, CORE BREAKING AND CONVEYING MEANS Filed March 28. 1956 E l' 34 3l Z FIGA.

ARTHUR LEE BARRETT ATTORNEY RTARY CUTTING, CORE BREAKING AND CONVEYING MEANS Arthur Lee Barrett, Franklin, Pa., assgnor to Joy Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 28, 1956, Serial No. 574,528

9 Claims. (Cl. 2622-9) This invention relates to mining machines and more particularly to a rotary cutting, core breaking and conveying device especially designed for use in a continuous mining machine for removing mineral such as coal from a solid mine vein.

This application is a continuation-impart of my copending application Serial No. 430,175, led May 17, 1954-, owned by the same assignee as the present invention, now matured into Patent No. 2,776,823, dated January 8, 1957, and embodies an improved form of dislodging and disintegrating mechanism whereby the mineral of a solid mine vein is effectively dislodged and disintegrated. The present invention contemplates improvements over known earlier devices in that the mineral to be dislodged is not only effectively penetrated but also is dislodged and conveyed from the working face in a more ecient manner.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved mining machine having improved means for dislodging the mineral from a solid mine vein. Another object is to provide an improved rotary disintegrator having improved means for dislodging the mineral from the solid and for conveying the dislodged mineral from the working face. Yet another object is to provide an improved rotary drilling head having improved dislodging means mounted to revolve about the axis of head rotation for dislodging mineral from the working face. A further object is to provide an improved dislodging means having a conveying function whereby the dislodged mineral is effectively moved rearwardly away from the rotary distintegrator and discharged outwardly from the working face. A still further object is to provide an improved rotary drilling head for forming a core of mineral and having improved means for breaking the core as cutting progresses and for moving the dislodged core fragments away from the working face. Yet another object is to provide an improved rotary drilling head for forming a core of mineral and having improved means for breaking the core as cutting progresses and for moving the dislodged core fragments away from the working face. Yet another object is to provide an improved rotary drilling head having improved core breaking and conveying means rotating about the axis of head rotation at a relatively slow speed. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

ln the accompanying drawing there is shown for purposes of illustration one form which the invention may assume in practice.

ln this drawing:

Pig. 1 is a side elevational view of the forward portion of a continuous mining machine in which a preferred illustrative form of the improved rotary cutting, core 7oreaking and conveying device is embodied.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on line .2 2 of Fig. l, with the rotary cutting, core breaking and conveying device in operative relation to the mineral of a mine vein.

tied 5119165 Patellt ice Fig. 3 is a front end view of the improved rotary cutting, core breaking and conveying device shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail cross section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, showing one of the breaking and conveying arms in section.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2, showing one of the breaking and conveying arms in cross section.

The mining machine or so-called continuous miner in which the improved rotary cutting, core breaking and conveying device is embodied is generally designated 1 and herein may be generally similar in construction and in operation to that disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 355,975, tiled May 19, 1953, likewise owned by the assignee of the present invention, and now matured into Patent No. 2,776,809, dated January 8, 1957. Evidently the improved rotary cutting, core breaking and conveying device may be embodied in mining machines of other types and constructions.

The continuous miner 1 shown herein generally comprises a mobile base 2 having a frame 3 on which is mounted a horizontal frame 4 swiveled to swing horizontally with respect to the base, as disclosed in the copending application above referred to. This swiveled frame carries a gathering or floor clean-up mechanism generally designated 5, an elevating and loading conveyor means shown in dotted lines at 6, and the rotary cutting, core breaking and conveying device generally designated 7. The gathering mechanism 5 and the rotary cutting, core breaking and conveying device 7 are swingable horizontally with the frame i relative to the base and the device 7 is pivotally mounted at S on the swiveled frame to swing in vertical planes relative to the swiveled frame and base.

As the rotary cutting, core breaking and conveying device elects removal of the mineral from the mine vein the gathering mechanism 5 receives the dislodged mineral and moves it onto the elevating and loading conveyor means 6 and the latter moves the disintegrated mineral rearwardly of the mining machine to a convenient point of delivery.

The vertically swingable dislodging and disintegrating mechanism comprises an elongated boom frame 9 mounted centrally of the swiveled frame 4- and extending forwardly above the gathering mechanism 5, and this boom frame has a transmission housing lt) in which a longitudinally extending transmission shaft 11 is journaled within bearings 12 supported within the transmission housing. The bearings 12 are supported within a revolving frame or annular housing 13 which is in turn journaled within a bearing 14 supported within the transmission housing and by a bearing 15 supported by a tubular forward portion 16 secured to the revolving frame 1.3. ournaled within the bearing 15 is a hub 17 of a rotary cutting and disintegrating head 18. The hub 17 of the rotary head 18 is secured as by screws 19 to the forward end of the drive shaft l1.

In this illustrative construction, the drive shaft 11 is driven at a relatively high speed through bevel gearing 20 while the revolving frame 13 is driven in the same direction at a relatively low speed through spur reduction gearings 21 and 22, all in the manner fully disclosed in the copending application Serial No. 355,975, above referred to. The rotary cutting or boring head 7 has a plurality, herein desirably four, radially extending arms 23 carrying cutters 24 along their front faces and peripheral cutters 25 at their outer end portions 26. These cutters may be in the form of mining machine cutter bits held in position by usual set screws 27 and the arms are recessed at 28 to provide for access to certain of the set screws. Suitably secured as by welding at 29 at spaced points along the length of the tubular forward portion 16 of the revolvingV frame are radially located core breaker arms 3G having 'their outer tooth portions 3l lying in the surface of a cone coaxial with the rotary t head with'the cone surface diverging rearwardly and outwardly from the cutting head. The core breaker arms are spirally arranged on the tubular portion 16-to provide Va spiral conveyor which serves to conveythe dislodged and disintegrated mineralrearwardly away from the rotary head and for discharging the same outwardly from the workingV face. The breaker arms are Ywedgeshaped in cross section (Fig. 5) with the apex portion of each providing a trailing edge 32, and these arms have forward Vfaces 33 which are inclined inwardly and rearwardly so that the dislodged mineral is directed rearwardly, and the spiral arrangement of the arms together with the surfaces 33 tend Yto move the dislodged mineral outwardly away from the face. -The rotary cutting head may be rotated at a relatively high speed through the driving connections above Vdescribed and as the cutter head is rapidly'rotated the rotary'core breakers are concurrently Arotated about the axisof head rotation in the same direction asrthe'cutting head but at a relatively slow direction of its axis toward the working face of the mine vein with arotary boring action to penetrate the mineral and when the head is disposedas shown in Fig. l it may Y be swung edgewise either inV vertical or horizontal planes,

in the manner disclosedin the copending. applications above referred to, with the swiveled frame 4 to form an arcuate slot or kerf 34 which lies inside of the face, as shown in Fig. 2. This slot or kerf forms a core or projection 35 of mineral and as the core breaker arms revolve at a relatively slow speed about the axis of head rotation theyV periodically engagerand break away fragmentsof the core of mineral, and the spiral arrangement of the breaker arms causes the dislodged mineral to be Vmoved rearwardly away from the rotary head and discharged outwardly from the working face in the manner shown in Fig. 1. By arranging the tooth portions of the core breaker arms in the surface of a cone with the sides of the cone vdiverging outwardly and rearwardly from the rotary head the boom frame 9 may be swung upwardly or downwardly to locate the rotary head either at the roof or oor levelsV with the cut conforming substantially with the contour of the roof and Hoor. Due to the relatively slow motion of the core breaker arms a slot or kerf of substantial depth may be cut in the mine vein prior to the core breaking action ofthe breaker arms on the core thereby to facilitate dislodgingV of the mineral from the solid'.

As a result of this invention an improved mining machine is povided whereby the mineral of a solidl mine vein may be effectively mined and loaded out. By the pro vision of the improved rotary cutting, core breaking and conveying device the mineral may be readily penetrated and dislodged from the solid Vvein in relatively large lamps with a minimum of actual cutting and tearing away of the mineral. The rotary drilling, core breaking and vconveying head after it has drilled itself axially Vinto the face may be moved edgewise along an arcuate path relative to 'the face to form atcore of mineral which is periodiclaims.V Y Y Y What'l claim as new and desire to secure by `Letters Patentis:

l. ln combination, a rotary-boring head having face and peripheral cutters for penetrating and cutting a kerf in the mineral of a solid mine vein to form a core, Vand a core breaker mounted to revolve about the axis of head rotation rearwardly' oflsaid head for engaging and dislodging fragments of the core,`said core breaker embody-V Y ing means for conveying the'dislodged core-fragments rearwardlyaway from said rotary head and for'discharging the same outwardly from the face.

2. A combination as set forth in claim l wherein said breaker is in the'form of a spiral conveyor and has spiraiy arranged breaker arms for conveying the corefragments as aforesaid,V

3. A combination as set forth in claim l wherein said core breaker has its outer portions lying in a surface of a cone coaxial with said headwith the sides ofthe conel diverging outwardly and rearwardly from the head axis.

4. A combination asY set forthV in claim l wherein means is provided for rotating said core breaker and con- Y and peripheral cutters and movable axially toward theV Vface of a mine vein to penetrate the mineral with a boring action and movablev edgewise'from its penetrating position to cut a kerf in the mineral to form a core, and j a rotaryconveyor mounted to'revolve about the Vaxis of Y Y rotation of said head rearwardly of the latterV for conve'ying disintegrated mineral rearwardly away from said rotary head and for Y discharging theV same outwardly from the face, said conveyor having core breaker portions for engaging and disintegrating the core as cutting progresses. n

6. In combination, a rotary boring head having faceV and peripheral cutters for penetrating and cutting a kerf in the mineralvof a solid mine vein to form a core, and a core', Y breaker revolving about'the axis of head rotation rearwardly of said head for engaging and dislodging fragments vof the core, said core breaker embodying radially extending breaker arms spaced apart in staggered rela-V tion longitudinally and circumferentially about the Vheadaxis, the radial dimension of said arms being at least substantially equal tothe radial dimension of saidrhead,

said breaker-arms being sprally arranged and cooperat-YH ing to provide a spiral conveyor, said arms conveying the core fragments 'rearwardly away from said rotary head1" V7. A core cutting and dislodging mechanism comprising a rotary drilling and cutting head having face Vandfpe'ripheral cutters, said head mounted forV axial n movement to form a circular bore in the mineral of a solid mineV vein and for edgewise movement to cut a slot inside ofthe face of the vein to form a core of mineral, means for rotating said head, a revoluble core Y breaker, means for mountingl said core breaker to revolve about the axis of head rotation relative to said head rearwardly of the latter, and means for causing said core breaker to revolve abouty said head-axis *for*V intermittently applying dislodging blows to the CoretoV dislodge the latter,` said core breaker embodying conveyor portions for moving the dislodged core-fragments axially outwardly from said Yhead and'for discharging the core-fragments outwardly from the face.

8. A mechanism as set forth in claim 7 wherein said rotating means fortsaid corebreaker and conveyor provides for revolution of the latter about the axis of headrotation at a speed substantially slower than the speed ofj rotation of said head.

9. ln combination7 a rotary drilling and coreV cutting head having face and peripheral cutters for cutting a slot inside the face of the mineral of a solid mine vein to form a core, means for rotating said head, said head mounted for axial movement to effect boring of a hole in the mineral and for edgewise swinging movement to eiect cutting of a slot inside of the face to form the core, core breaker and conveying means, means for mounting said core breaker and conveying means for rotation about the axis of rotation of said head and with said breaker and conveying means spaced rearwardly of said head, and means for rotating said breaker and conveying means with elements thereof moving in an orbit about the axis of head-rotation forwardly in the direction of lateral movement of said head to engage and dislodge the core, said conveying means moving the dislodged core fragments rearwardly away from said head and discharging the core fragments outwardly from the face.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNTTED STATES PATENTS 1,368,189 Newark Feb. 8, 1921 1,853,923 O'Brien Apr. l2, 1932 2,572,403 Stevenson Oct. 23, 1951 2,619,339 Cartlidge Nov. 25, 1952 2,654,586 Berry Oct. 6, 1953 2,749,101 Goodrich et al. June 5, 1956 2,776,809 Barrett Jan.f8, 1957 2,776,823 Barrett Jan. 8, 1957 

